mediumfeature

The surgeon who treated a teenage boy whose lengthy wait for surgery had tragic results testified Thursday that it was a "fairly desperate" time for B.C.'s Children's Hospital when he saw the youth in 2010.

largefeature

Paul Williams, owner of Peninsula Runners, has competed in three Olympics and won two Vancouver Sun Runs, so it’s fair to say he knows a thing or two about what makes a great running shoe. Many designs and trends have come and gone over the years, but this year, he says, the runners on the market are the best he’s seen yet.

The Medical Services Commission wants to conduct an audit of physicians doing operations at the Cambie Surgery Centre after a previous audit at the private facility in 2012 suggested doctors were double billing — charging both patients and the government, contrary to provincial laws.

The wearables market is growing and at IFA’s recent global press conference in Malta, Digital Life writer Gillian Shaw came across a new kind of wearable - wearable pain relief. The Philips Blue Touch uses blue light therapy instead of drugs to ease back pain.

B.C. residents are waiting longer than most Canadians for hip and knee replacements and cataract surgeries, bucking a national trend of decreasing or consistent waiting times for these procedures, according to a national report released Tuesday. The Canadian Institute for Health Information report looked at changes in patient waiting times for five priority procedures and measured them against national wait-time benchmarks. The goal is to ensure that 90 per cent of patients wait no longer than 48 hours for a hip fracture repair, 182 days for joint replacement procedures, 112 days for cataract surgery and 28 days for radiation. These benchmarks represent the amount of time clinical evidence shows is appropriate to wait for a procedure, according to CIHI.

We all get sore feet from running, but what should you do when an ache turns to lingering pain? Dr. Joseph Stern, a Vancouver podiatrist, says the first thing you probably should do is change your shoes. But if pain persists, see a doctor because it could be something serious that could get worse if you continue running. Stern shares five common foot problems and remedies ahead of the Sun Run.

If you saw Marie Cusson sitting in a chair, you might wonder why she is always squirming. The reason is simple: She keeps moving around because she’s trying to find a position that is free from pain. “I can never sit still because I’m always trying to find a way to get comfy,” she said in an interview.

If there’s one type of injury skiers and snowboarders dread, it’s a knee injury. It’s also one of the most common to afflict snow hounds. Just ask Olympic gold-medal snowboarder Maille Ricker, who’s had more than eight knee surgeries in her day.

A former bodily injury claims analyst for an insurance company was awarded nearly $1.3 million in damages last week in B.C. Supreme Court for chronic pain, post-traumatic stress and other psychological disorders he claimed to have developed after being rear ended by a pickup truck.

Researchers at the University of B.C. are using magnetic resonance imaging of joints under stress in the hopes of advancing treatments for osteoarthritis of the hips and knees. Using the only upright open MRI scanner of its kind in Canada, Vancouver Coast Health’s Centre for Hip Health and Mobility can capture images of joints throughout their range of motion. Typical MRI techniques require patients to lie flat and motionless inside a closed machine as images are produced using powerful magnets and radio waves.

The Vancouver Canucks did not have a morning skate here in Winnipeg, perhaps to avoid having to answer any more questions about their second-half swoon, the future of head coach John Tortorella, or perhaps just to save their energy for what could be another long night.

The Vancouver Canucks put their playoff fate in a perilous place when they lost seven straight games prior to the Olympic break. It allowed the teams around them in the standings to either climb above them, pull even, or pull close.

A new type of practice has begun to emerge in Calgary in which surgeons who work in the public system get licensed to practice medicine in the Caribbean, then, for a fee, actually fly out with their patients to perform shoulder, knee, hip and other operations.

The Oilers are still awaiting a verdict on Taylor Hall, who was flown back to Edmonton on Sunday for further evaluation of his left knee. Hall will undergo an MRI to determine the extent of the damage he sustained in a knee-on-knee collision with Eric Gryba in the second period of Saturday’s 3-1 win over the Ottawa Senators.

With cyclists averaging 5,000 pedal revolutions per hour, it’s not surprising that repetition may lead to overuse injuries. We can grade overuse injuries according to the presence or persistence of pain. Grade 1: Pain only after activity.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.